The technique of short story writing :an analytic study of the modern xhosa short story genre

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify and analyse the Xhosa short stories that have been written since the advent of the new democratic South Africa and to determine the extent to which they are addressing the challenges of the new South African society, such as the establishment and growth of democracy, crime, corruption, HIV/ AIDS, poverty, unemployment and moral degeneration. The aim of this study therefore, is to evaluate the texts which have been published from the early 1990‟s up to now within this context. The overall purpose of this research would be to determine the extent to which the literary standard of the genre has improved since the publication of Botha, Mtuze and Nguna‟s research, on the Xhosa short story genre. The particular features of the Xhosa short story genre (including its historical origin) will also have to be taken into consideration. This means that the influence of traditional African literature (including the intsomi and isibongo) on the modern Xhosa short story, will equally be studied here. This study will be based upon an analysis of the most important literary features of the short story as an independent form of literary art. The essential features of the short story to be considered in this study, include the important principles of unity, economy and compression of the content of the story.